Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Louisiana paraprofessional requirements for a Title I job are in Bulletin 746, section 2103. You need a high school diploma or equivalent plus one of three things: a passing ETS test score, an associate of arts or applied science degree, or 48 semester credit hours of college study, of which 15 are set general education hours and 33 are at the district's discretion.
Under LAC 28:CXXXI.2103, a Louisiana Title I paraprofessional needs a high school diploma or equivalent and either a passing ETS ParaPro or ParaPathways score, an associate degree, or 48 semester credit hours that include 15 hours of English composition, English/reading and mathematics.
The rule asks for 48 semester credit hours (15 set general education hours; the other 33 at district discretion), or an AA/AAS degree of 60+ hours, or no credits with a passing test score. The legal source is LAC 28:CXXXI.2103.
| Route | What Bulletin 746 asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every route | High school diploma or recognized equivalent | [1] |
| ETS test (from 1 June 2026) | ParaPathways 5758 Reading and Writing 332; 5759 Mathematics 334 | [1] |
| ETS ParaPro (older) | 1755, score 450, listed as prior to 31 August 2026 | [1] |
| Two years of study | 48 semester hours: 15 set (composition 3, English/reading 6, maths 6) and 33 at district discretion | [1] |
| Associate degree | AA or AAS, 60+ hours, from a state-approved or 34 CFR 602 accredited institution | [1] |
| Not new to the job | Also ACT WorkKeys plus on-the-job observation | [1] |
Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE); the hiring school district applies the rule decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE); the hiring school district applies the rule.
Fits the 3-hour English composition line in the 15 general education hours.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
A second writing course a college may place in the 6 English/reading hours.
Self-paced online English Composition 2 course (ENG 102). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
A literature course a college may count toward English/reading; ask first.
Self-paced online American Literature course (ENG 201). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Fits the 6 mathematics hours.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Listed among teacher preparation choices for the AA route; districts may use it in the 33 hours.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Social and behavioral science credit for the AA route or the 33 district-discretion hours.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; the district reads the hours from that college transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| ETS ParaPathways test route | $0 in college tuition; the ETS test fee is extra (not checked) | Replaces all 48 hours if you pass 5758 (score 332) and 5759 (score 334) | 15 Nov 2026 |
Be honest about the gap. If you have few or no college credits and can pass the ETS tests, the test is cheaper and faster. Credits make sense when you are already partway to 48 hours or plan to become a teacher, because the same credits can count toward a degree later.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Ask the hiring district in writing which route it will take and which courses it counts, and ask your college in writing which courses it will put on its transcript.
Louisiana writes the rule for Title I paraprofessionals into Bulletin 746, section 2103 (LAC 28:CXXXI.2103). It follows the federal rule in 34 CFR 200.58: anyone hired after 8 January 2002 into a program paid for with Title I funds needs a high school diploma or equivalent, and must then pass a state-approved test, hold an associate (or higher) degree, or complete two years of full-time study at a college.
Louisiana spells out what two years of full-time study means: 48 semester credit hours from a state-approved institution of higher education, or from one accredited under 34 CFR 602. The state calls a paraprofessional who meets one route highly qualified.
Bulletin 746 splits the 48 hours into two parts:
Bulletin 746 was amended in May 2026 (LR 52:668). It now lists two ETS tests: the ParaPro (1755) with a score of 450, marked prior to August 31, 2026, and the newer ParaPathways, effective 1 June 2026, in two parts: Reading and Writing (5758) with a score of 332 and Mathematics (5759) with a score of 334.
Many guides still describe only the ParaPro. If you are planning the test route now, ask the district which test and scores it is using, and check the ETS registration page for the current fee before you book.
If you have no college credit and your reading, writing and maths are strong, the test is the cheaper and quicker route. Credits make sense when you already have some hours from an earlier start at college, or when you want to become a teacher later, because the same credits can also count toward a degree.
UPI Study courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations and count only via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. The district then decides which of your transcript hours it counts for the 33 discretionary hours, so ask it in writing first.
The ParaPro (1755) is an ETS test of reading, writing and maths for paraprofessionals. Louisiana's Bulletin 746 lists it with a passing score of 450, marked prior to 31 August 2026, and now lists the ParaPathways tests (5758 and 5759), effective 1 June 2026. Ask your district which test it uses.
48 semester credit hours, if you take the credit route. Bulletin 746 sets 15 of them: English composition 3, English/reading 6 and mathematics 6. The other 33 are at the district's discretion. An associate of arts or applied science degree, or a passing ETS test score, also meets the rule.
No. An associate degree is one of three routes. You can also pass the ETS ParaPathways tests or complete 48 semester credit hours. Every route also needs a high school diploma or equivalent, under Bulletin 746 section 2103 and 34 CFR 200.58.
Bulletin 746 lists ParaPathways Reading and Writing (5758) with a score of 332 and Mathematics (5759) with a score of 334, effective 1 June 2026. The older ParaPro (1755) is listed with a score of 450, prior to 31 August 2026.
We did not check the current ETS fee, so look it up on the ETS registration page before you book. Even with the fee, the test route usually costs less than college credit when you have few or no hours, because it can replace all 48 semester hours.
It can, if it sits on a transcript from a state-approved institution or one accredited under 34 CFR 602, and the district counts it. Bulletin 746 leaves the 33 non-core hours to the district, so ask the district in writing which courses it will count.
Already partway to 48 hours? Fill the English and maths hours your college and district have agreed to count.